LEAF Rats in Vehicle Control Module and Shifter Assembly for 2011 SL

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CaptainPLaneT

New member
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
3
Greetings Good and Honorable Folks,


I simply Salute you all for driving Electric...as we never need much anything else from Saudi Arabia or Big Oil.


I was away for 3 months and my family for some reason chose to store my LEAF in a Rural Storage Unit Lot for 6 weeks instead of using it. Upon returning to the LEAF I found a rat nest right under the hood on top of the motor. I removed the nest and a day later a small portion was back along with some chew marks on the brake fluid line. The LEAF read it had --- miles and would not shift out of Park unless forced too. I replaced the defunct 12 Volt Battery, moved it out of that lot, and still the LEAF will not charge or drive at all.


Towing to the nearest Nissan LEAF Dealer in Cumming, GA I am told there is no rat evidence beyond the brake fluid line chew marks but the Vehicle Control Module and Shifter Assembly need replacing for about $1,000 each. The LEAF has just over 100,000 miles and is on its 3rd Nissan Vehicle Battery all under warranty. Has anyone heard of the Vehicle Control Module and Shifter Assembly failing spontaneously with no trauma or damage? It continues to sound suspicious to me.


One primary reason I tell folks that Electric Vehicles are the way to go is that there is so little dirty filthy and expensive maintenance. $2,000 out of the blue is the cost of a transmission:(


Sustainably Yours,

Andrew Lane,
aka CaptainPLaneT
Master of Sustainable Solutions: Arizona State University Dec 2016
 
Great Scott....does no one in here know about the Vehicle Control Module or Shifter Assembly costing $1,000 each installed? Please do not let me be the victim of a greedy Nissan Dealer looking to make easy bucks on an EV they will rarely get their paws on.
 
I'm not surprised by the cost of those components with labor but if you are unsure I would 1) call another dealer to get a quote on the same work and 2) find another mechanic to verify that they actually need replacing.

It might not be easy to find someone who knows enough about a Leaf to know if the dealer's assessment is correct or not but you could ask the dealer for more details or talk directly to the service tech and have them show you the problem and how it was diagnosed, etc. if you are still not convinced.
 
I've seen those parts for sale before as used through wrecking yards etc. Some people also part out their wrecks offering good parts too. Might save yourself some money on parts that way. Dealer might install used parts for you if you round them up and others have had some success with that. I would get a second or third dealer opinion on what is broken because the initial estimate is expensive. Good luck!
 
It is not likely for the rats to damage control modules, but they like to chew on wires so I am suspicious that they have damaged one or more wiring harness(es) and the resulting error codes point to the modules (which are expensive, but easy for a technician to replace) so the dealer want to replace modules. There is a relay box above the right front fender up high and back near the firewall on 2011 and 2012 models. One of the little relays provides power to the transmission control unit (which senses shift lever movement); other small relays provide power to other modules such as the vehicle control module. Therefore, I would look for hidden damage to all wiring harnesses under the hood.
 
Indeed Good and Honorable Gents,


Thank you for your quick replies. I agree with GerryAZ and my good AZ EV Friend Ed Carnel owner of 2 LEAFs and a Tesla who thought wires could be damaged. I suspect if it is the wires that are damaged(and left un-repaired) that no replacement vehicle control module or shifter assembly will rectify the problem. I will keep you all abreast of my discoveries.


Thank You All Again for driving Electric...especially as Saudi Arabia seems to have done the unthinkable to a journalist.



Sustainably Yours,

Andrew Lane, Master of Sustainability Arizona State Dec 2016
MAJ, Army Reserve, 492nd CA BN
706.296.6631


Evil Prevails..When the Good do Nothing!

http://www.CPTLaneT.org/
 
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